Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc
FOX CITIES CONVENTION & VISITORS is a public charity based in Appleton, Wisconsin. It promotes the Fox Cities as a convention and tourist destination and uses a portion of room tax revenue to support local visitor attractions, amenities, and experiences.
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc at a glance
In short: Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc gave $675K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $68K), mostly in Wisconsin. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $675,374
- -7.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $67,537
- +10.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $32,500
- Total assets
- $7,706,278
- +3.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (5 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc
- How to Apply
-
Applications are submitted online through forms for tourism development, wayfinding signage, on-site signage, one-time exhibits or new festival development, and kayak rental station grants. Applicants are encouraged to review the applicable program guidelines before applying.
- Contact
Mailing address: 213 S Nicolet Rd, Appleton, WI 54914
Phone: (920) 734-3358
Website: https://foxcities.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Trout Museum of Art ($250K). Together the top 10 received $675K.
Grant Size Distribution
43 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 24 grants of 43 (56%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization promotes the Fox Cities region, which it describes as comprising 19 communities. All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 10 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $65K; repeat grants $70K. How we count
Medians: $40K first-time, $25K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $219K (2020) to $821K (2021). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $675K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Trout Museum of Art Appleton, WI | Exhibit Costs | $250,000 |
| Timber Rattlers Give Back Inc Appleton, WI | Holiday Light Show | $210,000 |
| Outagamie County Appleton, WI | Airline Routes | $59,375 |
| Sculpture Valley Appleton, WI | Sculpture Project | $52,500 |
| Appleton Community Music Appleton, WI | Tourism Develpoment | $40,000 |
| Future Neenah Inc Neenah, WI | Chirstmas Market Hut | $25,000 |
| Fox Cities Sports Development Cente Appleton, WI | CFCC Expansion | $15,999 |
| City of Neenah Neenah, WI | Kayak Rental Station | $9,500 |
| Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce Appleton, WI | Signage | $7,000 |
| Neenah Historical Society Jane Lang Neenah, WI | Exhibit | $6,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7,706,278 | $2,814,326 | $2,587,812 | $675,374 | 10 | $174,089 |
| 2024 | $7,444,919 | $2,608,877 | $2,585,963 | $733,160 | 12 | $137,624 |
| 2023 | $7,025,516 | $2,360,059 | $1,951,909 | $371,615 | 4 | $105,602 |
| 2022 | $6,576,233 | $2,963,211 | $1,895,290 | $321,486 | 3 | $50,682 |
| 2021 | $4,342,529 | $2,038,962 | $2,035,839 | $821,109 | 14 | $35,677 |
| 2020 | $4,370,414 | $1,457,435 | $1,333,171 | $218,788 | 4 | $49,279 |
| 2019 | $4,060,549 | $1,863,312 | $1,569,637 | $240,027 | 4 | $65,275 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s mission is to strengthen the Fox Cities by investing in and promoting the destination. Its grant program supports development or expansion of visitor attractions and amenities, including interactive experiences, high-impact traveling exhibitions, and certain signage. Projects must be likely to generate overnight hotel stays or enhance the visitor experience. The organization also offers a grant category for kayak rental stations.
Its 2025 grants included support for an art exhibit, a holiday light show, airline routes, a sculpture project, music-related tourism development, a Christmas market hut, a sports facility expansion, a kayak rental station, signage, and a museum exhibit. Among the grantees, Timber Rattlers Give Back Inc says its mission is to support charitable causes in the Fox Valley in education, youth sports, and basic needs. Appleton Community Music Inc says it works to expand original music events and connect the community through music. Future Neenah Inc describes itself as a civic development group supporting programs, projects, and events in Neenah. Neenah Historical Society Inc says it collects, preserves, and shares community history.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the organization awarded 10 grants totaling $675,374. Grant amounts ranged from $6,000 to $250,000, with a median of $32,500. Larger awards included $250,000 to Trout Museum of Art for exhibit costs, $210,000 to Timber Rattlers Give Back Inc for a holiday light show, $59,375 to Outagamie County for airline routes, and $52,500 to Sculpture Valley for a sculpture project.
The organization says grant payments are made on a reimbursement basis, and recipients must meet all covenants in their grant agreements to receive funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Pam Seidl as executive director; Amanda Hedtke, Ryan Batley, Chef Jeff Igel, Randy Kliment, Beau Bernhoft, and Linda Garvey as directors; Abe Weber as past chair; Norb Karner as treasurer; Jeff Sturgell as vice chair; Peter Rank as chair; and David Kress as director.
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc is led by Peter Rank, Chair since 2025 (on filings since 2022); 1 of 17 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Peter Rank
Chair
Director → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amanda Hedtke
Director
Chair → Past Chair, 2022
Past Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Randy Kliment
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ryan Batley
Director
Chair → Past Chair, 2024
Past Chair → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chef Jeff Igel
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Linda Garvey
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Kress
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ryan Moede
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maria Vanlaanen
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard Downey
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kelly Nieforth
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Kloehn
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pam Seidl
Executive Di
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$96K (2019) → $134K (2025)
Abe Weber
Past Chair
Treasurer → Chair, 2024
Chair → Past Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Norb Karner
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Beau Bernhoft
Direcotr
Director → Secretary, 2024
Secretary → Direcotr, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Sturgell
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (14)
- Former: Chris Haese (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Chuck Gifford (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Karen Harkness (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Matt Carpenter (2019–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Jim March (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Jane Lang (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Deb Johnson (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Dana Reader (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: James Fenlon (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Dale Younquist (2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Peter Gianopoulos (2020) — Director
- Former: Zach Zinsli (2020) — Director
- Former: Jan Smith (2019) — Director
- Former: John Burgland (2019) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $134K, to Pam Seidl (Executive Di).
Frequently asked questions about Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc
How much does Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc give each year?
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc gave $675K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $733K across 12 grants.
What is Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc's typical grant size?
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc's median grant in 2025 was $32,500, and its average grant was $67,537, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc that year got $65K on average.
Where does Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc give grants?
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc gives mostly in Wisconsin: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Appleton, WI (7 grants) and Neenah, WI (3 grants).
Does Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc's largest grantees?
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Trout Museum of Art ($250,000), Timber Rattlers Give Back Inc ($210,000) and Outagamie County ($59,375), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc?
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc reported $7.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.8M.
What does Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc fund?
The organization’s mission is to strengthen the Fox Cities by investing in and promoting the destination. Its grant program supports development or expansion of visitor attractions and amenities, including interactive experiences, high-impact traveling exhibitions, and certain signage. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc?
Applications are submitted online through forms for tourism development, wayfinding signage, on-site signage, one-time exhibits or new festival development, and kayak rental station grants. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc's EIN?
Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1607175. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 20, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 28, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 26, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 24, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/fox-cities-convention-and-visitors-bureau-inc-morg_12d980770d9e42d5baf21a86c9a68dc3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_391607175_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Fox Cities Convention \& Visitors Bureau Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/fox-cities-convention-and-visitors-bureau-inc-morg_12d980770d9e42d5baf21a86c9a68dc3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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